Moving to Albania from Bosnia and Herzegovina

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What to Expect

Everything you need to know before relocating from Bosnia and Herzegovina to Albania — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.

If you moved from Bosnia and Herzegovina to Albania, you would find that Albania is 25.2% more expensive than Bosnia and Herzegovina overall. A BAM130,000 salary in Bosnia and Herzegovina would need to be roughly ALL7,600,000 in Albania to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Albanian.

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Is Albania cheaper than Bosnia and Herzegovina?

Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day

Restaurants

pay 18.4% more

Groceries

pay 11.1% more

Transportation

pay 12.0% more

Housing

pay 49.4% more

Childcare

pay 23.4% less

Entertainment and Sports

pay 49.5% more

See full cost of living breakdown
Exchange rate: 1 BAM = 46.68 ALL (October 2026)

Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.

What salary do you need in Albania?

What does your salary buy?

BAM130,000 → ALL7,600,000

To maintain the same standard of living in Albania

Calculate with your salary →

Cost of living by city

Cost of living varies a lot by city. Each figure is a city's overall cost of living as a percentage of New York City (the priciest, = 100%).

On average, cities in Albania cost about 19% more than cities in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Mostar 34%

Albania

Sarande 47%
Shkoder 36%

Compare cities head-to-head

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Key Indicator Comparison

Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Bosnia and Herzegovina to Albania.

Is it safe?

Homicide rate World Bank, 2023

per 100,000 people per year

BA
1.2
AL
1.4
Road traffic deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

per 100,000 people per year

BA
13.7
AL
10.8

Bosnia and Herzegovina generally does better on safety, though Albania leads in road traffic deaths.

How's the healthcare?

Healthcare spending per person World Bank, 2023

annual government + private spending per person

BA
$1,989
AL
$1,465
Doctors per 10,000 people World Bank, 2020

affects wait times and access to care

BA
25.8
AL
18.8

Bosnia and Herzegovina generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Albania leads in healthcare spending per person.

What about the environment?

Air pollution deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2019

deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people

BA
55.0
AL
59.0
CO₂ emissions per capita World Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

BA
6.5t
AL
1.8t

Bosnia and Herzegovina generally does better on environment, though Albania leads in co₂ emissions per capita.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Broadband per 100 people World Bank, 2024

fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work

BA
29.4
AL
24.9
Water stress level World Bank, 2022

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

BA
2.1%
AL
4.8%

Bosnia and Herzegovina performs better than Albania across all infrastructure metrics.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate World Bank, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

BA
11.0%
AL
10.9%
GDP per capita World Bank, 2025

a broad measure of economic output per person

BA
$10,382
AL
$12,998

Bosnia and Herzegovina generally does better on employment & economy, though Albania leads in unemployment rate.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy World Bank, 2024

average years of life at birth

BA
78.0 yrs
AL
79.8 yrs
Infant mortality World Bank, 2024

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

BA
5.5
AL
8.3

Bosnia and Herzegovina generally does better on family life, though Albania leads in life expectancy.

Sources: World Bank (2015–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), Indirect Taxation Authority of Bosnia and Herzegovina (2016), Albanian Taxation Office (2016), The World Factbook (2021). How we calculate this

Can you move from Bosnia and Herzegovina to Albania?

Short-stay tourist visa rules between Bosnia and Herzegovina and Albania. To live, work, or study long-term in Albania, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Albania's immigration authority.

Bosnia and Herzegovina passport

Bosnia and Herzegovina passport holder visiting Albania

Visa Free
Bosnia and Herzegovina passport holders can enter Albania without a visa.
Albania passport

Albania passport holder visiting Bosnia and Herzegovina

Visa Free
Albania passport holders can enter Bosnia and Herzegovina without a visa.

Data: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it cheaper to live in Albania than Bosnia and Herzegovina?

No — Albania is on average about 25% more expensive than Bosnia and Herzegovina. City-level variation matters.

How much money do I need to move to Albania?

Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly ALL1,900,000 in Albania on a BAM130,000 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees).

Can I work remotely from Albania?

Internet is rarely the blocker — Albania has 24.9 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people. The real questions are legal: digital nomad visa eligibility, your employer's overseas-work policy, and tax residency in both countries.

Is Albania safe for expats?

Bosnia and Herzegovina generally does better on safety, though Albania leads in road traffic deaths. The homicide rate in Albania is 1.4 per 100,000 people, compared to 1.2 in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

How is healthcare in Albania compared to Bosnia and Herzegovina?

Bosnia and Herzegovina generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Albania leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 18.8 doctors per 10,000 people in Albania, compared to 25.8 in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Albania scores 64 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Bosnia and Herzegovina: 66).

What language do they speak in Albania?

The official language in Albania is Albanian. In Bosnia and Herzegovina, the official languages are Bosnian, Croatian and Serbian.

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At a Glance

BA AL
Population 3,140,095 2,349,580
Currency Bosnia-Herzegovina Convertible Mark (BAM) Albanian Lek (ALL)
Languages Bosnian, Croatian, Serbian Albanian
Driving side Right Right
Calling code +387 +355
Time zones 1 1
Emergency number 112 112